Electric alarm-clock.



PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

J. MOGARTHY. ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l l l n l l l nl Inventor Attorneys.

Ygitnesses: u y M No. 798,143. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

J. MOCARTHY. ELECTRIC ALRM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses: lnventorzfnaq (1.7 WWW By @WMI M Attorneys.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC ALARM-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed May 5, 1904x Serial No. 206,426.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MoGAR'rI-IY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Alarm-Clocks, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to alarm-clocks, and especially to alarm-clockshaving' an electrically-operated alarm.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an electricallyoperated alarm mechanism to which an ordinary alarm-clock may beconnected, to provide an alarm-clock that may be caused to operatealarm-bells in a plurality of circuits, to provide means for operatingeither an alarm-bell on the clock itself or a distant alarm, and otherobjects hereinafter more fully appearing.

My invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying' drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to lik-e parts wherever they occur, Figure lis a front View of my improved alarm-clock with the front door raised.Fig. 2 is a rear view of the clock. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewon the line 3 3 of Fig'. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic view of the circuits.

The clock comprises a case 1 of any suitable form, but preferablyornamental, provided with a front hinged door 2. The latter is hinged atits upper edge and is fastened shut by a pivoted latch 3, which engagesin a slot in the forwardly-projecting margin of the lower side of thecase. The door is provided near its central portion with an opening ofthe proper shape to receive an ordinary alarm-clock. In the clock shownthc opening is circular". In this opening an alarm-clock 4 is mounted.The door is of wood or other insulating material, so that the clock isinsulated except at the points where electrical conducting contact isdesired. This is an ordinary alarm-clock with mechanical alarmmechanism, of which the "Ansonia clock may be taken as an example. Thebell usually found on such clocks is removed and in its place a contactmember 5 is arranged. The alarm-spring is Wound up and a stoparm 6 issoldered on the alarm-winding fingerpiece 7. A stop 8 is mounted on theclockcase in position to be struck by the stop-arm 6 and prevent morethan a partial revolution of the latter. Thus thealarm-spring can neverbe Wholly unwound. The remaining parts of the clock-the interiormechanism, the time-winding finger-piece 9, the hour and minute handsetting button 10, the alarmsetting button 11, and regulating-lever 12-are unchanged.

In the rear corners of the case chambers 13 and 14 are partitioned offand primary cells 15 and 16 are placed therein. Cells of any type may beused, but dry cells are shown and preferred. By inclosing them inpractically air-tight chambers evaporation of the moisture of the cellsand their consequent deterioration is to a large degree prevented. Achamber 17 is partitioned off between the chambers .13 and 14 and anelectric bell 18 of any suitable type is mounted therein.

The top of the casing is formed by a fixed top 19 and a hinged top 9.0.The front door 2 is hinged to the fixed top 19. The hinged top 2() isprovided to permit the raising of the front. A spring-contact 21 issecured to the fixed top 19 and projects over a hole 22m the latter.Then the door is closed, the contact member 5 on the clock projectsthrough the hole 22 and makes contact with the springcontact 21.

A contact-piece 23 is secured upon the partition just back of the clockin such position that it may be engaged by the alarm-windingfinger-piece 7 when it rotates to the position at which it is stopped bythe stop-arm 6 and stop 8.

At the front of the casing and upon the lower side thereof a contact 24and switch 25 are mounted. A switch 26, having two contact-points 27 and28, is mounted on the rear side of the case. Two contact-posts 29 30 arealso mounted upon the rear side of the casing.

The several contact members, switches, battery, clock, 85o., areconnected by the electrical conductors as follows: A conductor 31connects one terminal of the cell 15 with the switch 26. Thecontact-point 28 of the switch is connected with one terminal of thebell by a conductor 32, the opposite terminal of the bell beingconnected by a conductor 33 with the contact-piece 23 back of the clock.A conductor 34 connects the spring-contact 21 with one terminal of thecell 16. The opposite terminal of the cell 16 is connected by aconductor 35 with the switch 25, the contact Q4 of which is connected bya conductor 36 with the remaining terminal of the cell I5.

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' prevented by the stop 3.

The operation of the parts described is as follows: When it is desiredto set the alarm, the switch 26 is closed on the contact 28, the

switch 25 is closed, and the alarm-winding inger-picce 7, with itsstop-arm 6, is turned back, as in the ordinary winding of the alarm, apart of a revolution, so as to break the circuit between theiinger-piece 7 and the contact-piece 23. The hour for the release of thealarm mechanism is set as usual. Then the hour determined upon hasarrived, the alarm mechanism is released, as' usual, and the alarm-winding finger piece 7 rotates and makes contact with the contact-piece23. rIhe circuit is thus closed. Further rotation is The circuit is asfollows: cell 15, conductor 31, switch 26, conductor 32, bell 18,conductor 33, contactpiece 23, Enger-piece 7, clock 4, contact member 5,spring-contact 21, conductor 34, cell 16, conductor 35, switch 25,conductor 36 to cell 15 again. The bell will ring until the circuit ismanually interrupted. The person to be awakened must get up in order tostop the ringing of the bell.

Other connections for operating alarms at a distance-as, for example,distant rooms of a hotelvare provided. A conductor 37 connects thecontact 27 of the switch 26 with the contact-post 30. A vconductor 38connects the companion contact-post with the contact-piece 23. Thecontact-posts 29 and 30 may be connected to any exterior circuit 39containing an electric bell 40 or a switchboard, by means `of whichconnection could be made with a plurality of bells.

For use in connection with the exterior circuit 39 the switch 26 is seton the contact 27. The circuit is then as follows: cell 15, conductor31, switch 26, conductor 37, exterior circuit 39, conductor 38,contact-piece 23, finger-piece 7, clock 4, contact member 5,spring-contact 21, conductor 34, cell 16, conductor 35, switch 25,conductor 36 to cell 15 again.

The battery is shown divided in order to secure a symmetricalarrangement in the ease; but obviously both cells might be inserted atthe same point in the circuit. The case shown is made of wood, and henceno other insulator for the contact-piece is necessary; but obviously thecase could be made of metal or any conducting material and thecontact-pieces insulated therefrom in the well-known manner.

@bviously my device is capable of considerable modification within thescope of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to limit myself tothe specific construction shown and described. For example, the contact23 may be located so as to make contact with the stoparm 6 instead ofthe iinger-piece 7.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An electric alarm-clock comprising a case arranged to receivealarm-clock mechanism, an electric circuit comprising a source ofcurrent, a circuit-breaking switch and contacts arranged to be connectedby the alarm-clock mechanism, an alarm-clock mechanism arranged in saidcz se to connect said contacts, a second circuit in said case comprisingan electric alarm, a third circuit external to said case comprising anelectric alarm, and means for throwing` said second-mentioned andthirdmentioned circuits separately in series with said first-mentionedcircuit.

2. An electric alarm-clock comprisingI a case, an electric circuittherein comprising a source of current, an electrically-operated alarmand separated contacts, and alarm-clock mechanism mounted in said caseand having a lixed contact for engagement with one of said separatedcontacts and a winding inger-piece 'for engagement with the other ofsaid separated contacts, a stop-arm on said linger-piece and a stop toprevent more than a partial revolution of said linger-piece.

3. An electricalarm-clock comprisingacase, a front door hinged at itsupper side, a hinged top projecting' over said door, said door beingprovided with an opening to receive a mechanical alarm-clock, a primarybattery, an electrically-operated alarm in said case and two separatedcontacts arranged in said case, said contacts being arranged 'forengagement with parts of said alarm-clock and electric conductorsconnecting said battery, alarm and contacts.

4. An electric alarm-clock comprising a case provided with a hingeddoor, an alarm-clock mechanism mounted on said door and provided with afixed contact and a rotatable contact member, a circuit in said casecomprising a source of current, an electrically-operated alarm, aswitch, and separate contacts, one of said separated contacts beingarranged for engagement with said fixed contact when said door is closedand the other of said separated contacts being arranged Vfor engagementwith said rotatable contact member.

5. An electric alarm-clock comprisingacase IOO arranged to receivealarm-clock mechanism,

